Always almost
by lu112
Summary: One shot. Red John narrowly escapes yet again. The team worry what it will do to Jane. Mainly fluff. *Previously a one shot but I'm in the process of extending it* Chap 2 very soon


**A/N: Hey guys! Just a short little one shot that popped into my head the other day. Hope you enjoy it...fluff as always. **

**P.S. Reviews make me reeeeeally happy! **

**Louise xxxx**

Almost. Again it was only almost. They'd had Red John in the palm of their hands. They'd caught another one of his seemingly endless supply of accomplices, but they had missed him by minutes. It was the closest they had ever come. They had rattled him. They all knew how hard this would be for Jane. The "what if's" running through his mind would taunt him.

Leaving the scene, he hadn't said a word to anyone. He'd just walked away, without looking up, he had placed his hand on Lisbon's shoulder and gently squeezed. Too broken for words. She knew that it had been his way of saying their customary "next time...". She put her hand on his for a moment, looking at the floor, and then let him walk away. His friends knew that he needed to be alone.

They were staying at the town's least dingy motel. The team knew that they had to assemble for their debriefing but no one could focus. Cho, Rigsby, Van Pelt and Lisbon sat in a booth in the adjoining diner. Each staring into their coffee.

"Let's do this tomorrow you guys" Lisbon knew her team couldn't face this now and neither could she. Dissecting every wrong move that had been made would do them no good.

"We can meet here for breakfast; we'll do it then"

"Ok, Boss"

"Wait!" Rigsby stopped them all as they were getting up.

"Shouldn't someone check on Jane?"

"I think we should wait until morning. He'll want to be alone right now" Lisbon offered the group. She had every intention of checking on Jane before Rigsby had said it but she didn't want them thinking he needed it. She was the boss, but Jane was just as equal a leader as she was. She couldn't have them seeing him like this.

"Okay."

"Night, guys"

"Good night, Boss"

They all went to their rooms, looking forward to sleep.

Sleep didn't come to them that night. Van Pelt lay awake, worrying about Jane. She didn't know much more of this he could take. She stepped out on to her balcony, hoping that the stillness of the night would offer some answers.

"Hey"

Shocked, she looked to her left and saw Wayne. He was leaning against the railings facing forward.

"Hey...Can't sleep?"

"Nope. Cho's the same." He nodded towards the other man.

She looked to her right and saw Kimball Cho in a similar stance to Wayne.

The three stood there in silence.

"Jane's been awake all night. Tossing and turning. At one stage it sounded like he was throwing the furniture around. Poor guy."

Jane's room was beside Cho's.

"Lisbon doesn't seem to have that problem. I haven't heard a peep out of her. She probably just passed out. It's been a hard day for her. She really wanted to catch him...ya know...for Jane."

Rigsby, whose room was next to Lisbon's hadn't heard his boss so much as cough.

"I hope she's okay."

Inside Patrick Jane's room, the team's conversation could easily be heard. The room was lit only by the pale moonlight and the glow of a fluorescent street lamp. Jane lay perfectly still, listening to every word.

Teresa sat just as silently, one leg either side of him. The only movement came when Jane ran his hand from her knee up to her bare hip, breaking her concentration from her friend's conversation. She looked down at him and smiled a sad smile. She'd only come to his room to check on him.

He had only answered the door because he had known it was her. Had it been anyone else, he wouldn't have bothered. But Lisbon was fast becoming the reason he got up in the morning and he had needed to see her. They had talked for a while. It broke what was left of his heart to know that she blamed herself for Red John's escape. It wasn't her fault and there was no way he could ever blame her. She had done everything right. It just wasn't the day, but thanks to her, he believed that day would come.

She had smiled the same sad smile as she had said good night and went to leave. He had stopped her. Convincing her not to go by kissing her.

She knew he meant it. There had been plenty of other dark times in his life when he could have used the nearest woman for comfort sex, but he didn't. He wasn't the type.

"Hey," he caressed her cheek, pulling her from her thoughts of that kiss, "what's the sad face for now?"

"I don't know. Just hoping we won't regret this."

"We won't. Teresa, I need you. You make me feel happy and safe and cared about and I want to make you feel that way too."

"You do, Jane, when you're not being a pain in the ass."

They both smiled. Looking down at him again, she moved to leave.

"I better go."

Once more, he stopped her.

"Stay. Stay with me..."

The team were still talking outside the window.

"Okay. I'll stay."


End file.
